[ Manila Bulletin Online ] January 4, 2009
By MALOU M. MOZO
LOON, Bohol – While the province of Bohol is fast becoming a highly developed tourism destination in Central Philippines, the local government unit here is determined to fast-track the expansion of its multi-million peso municipal port into an international cruise ship port, a local official said.
Town Mayor Lloyd Lopez disclosed that P85 million of the projected P200 million expansion project of the Catagbacan port here has been approved, having received the advice from the central office of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA).
He said the Catagbacan port will soon be renamed as the Loon Bohol International Cruise Ship Port as expansion plan is slated within the first quarter of this year.
"It will be a stimulus to the economic development of Loon because of the tourism and employment opportunities it will bring," Lopez said in an interview.
The funding was generated with support coming from the PPA, the Department of Tourism, and Rep. Edgar Chatto (1st district, Bohol).
Lopez said that part of the expansion is the construction of a transport terminal, which is presently not available at the current Catagbacan port.
He said that at present, the seaport services fastcrafts, pumpboats, and light ferries.
It is a two-hour ferry-boat ride from Taloot port in Argao, Cebu.
Developing the Catagbacan port, Lopez said, is expected to spur tourism activities in Bohol, since it is a jump-off point to Cabilao Island, a destination known for its world-class dive sites.
Apart from the dive sites and beaches in this town, other tourism attractions include several interesting waterfalls, and the Moalong River, where plans are underway to develop it similar to the Loboc River Cruise, said Lopez.
"This will bring in a more significant impact for the town of Loon not only in tourism receipts but in generating more livelihood opportunities for our people," the mayor said with optimism.
Lopez said the new international cruise ship port will rake in an estimated ΡΡ9 million in local income and ΡΡ46 million from internal revenues.
This early, he announced that the development of other support infrastructures, like roads, are also underway.
The mayor said the local government is advocating its citizens to practice cleanliness in their area since Catagbacan is now positioned to be another tourism gateway for Bohol.
